It is a toilet revolution.
There are many public toilets positioned in China's cities. They are used big time. Their need exceeds their availability. Keep in mind that the public toilet of today was the street of yesterday. Fifty years ago public toilets did not exist. Streets were the direct recipients of body wastes.
The problem is especially acute as it concerns women. Men and women have separate public toilet facilities. However, there are not enough toilets for women. They are always waiting in line to go. Whereas, the men's facilities have no waiting lines.
The problem is not confined to China alone. It is world wide. American women generally wait in line at a public event, wheres the men suffer no such problem.
The differnece involves the clothes worn by each sex.
A man walks into the men's room and goes right up to a urinal. He pulls his zipper down, takes out his male member and urinates. When he is finished, he shakes it and then returns it into his pants. He zips his fly and the process is complete. He generally leaves the facility without washing his hands since he has only handled his private part.
It is more cumbersome for women. They start out behind the eight ball. They are involved with many more clothes than the men. Women are required to pull a piece of attire up and then their undies down. They then must sit. Generally a moment is taken to make sure the unit is clean by covering it with toilet paper. Having finished her business, the woman wipes and then returns her clothing to its original position. This routine is followed by the washing of her hands.
More steps require more time. This accounts for the long waiting lines in front of a women's public toilet.
Chinese women decided they would take it no more. They have demanded additional public facilities for the women. The Chinese government sets the ratio of men's toilets to women's toilets. Prior to this revolution, it was 1:1. The women have minimally won. The government promises the ratio will be adjusted to 1:1.5.
The ladies are still not happy. Not enough, they say.
Chinese city women have organized. It is called Occupy Men's Toilets. I suspect the name is a take off on our Occupy Wall Street.
The female rebelliousness is presently twofold. The women block the doorway to the male side of a public toilet for ten minutes at a time. This is so the ladies can make use of the men's facility to shorten their waiting time. The women are also demonstrating. There have been demonstrations/marches. The women loudly chant as they demonstrate and march.....We want to pee! It is repeated over and over.
So far the government is acquiescing. The ladies are being given free reign. However things are getting testy. Tempers flare on occasion. The police are now involved. At this stage, only to observe.
I find it interesting that the women are being afforded the right to protest. I recall many years ago when students took to a Chinese square to complain. The government called out the tanks. No tanks this time. At least not yet. The Chinese government has enough other problems with which to deal. This is a new China. The government appears not to want to rile the ladies further.
I suspect that the new 1:15 ratio will soon move to 1:2. The problem is real and the ladies have every right to be made happy.
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